Turbine



K. A. AHLFORS.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION Hun MAY 27, 1920.

Patented J an. 10, 1922.

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KARL AXEL AHLFORS, 0F HELSINGFORS, FINLAND.

TURBINE.

Appiieation sied may e?,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, KARL AXEL AHLFORS, a citizen of Finland, and a resident of Helsingi'ors, Finland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Turbines, of which the following is a specification.

Some of the objects ot the present invention are to provide means i'or increasing the eliciency of a water dri-ven turbine; to provide means for lowering the back pressure at the outlet side of the wheel of a turbine; to provide means for increasing the velocity of the water at the discharge end. of a turbine; to provide means for admitting water under pressure to a turbine at a location relatively close to the outiiow side oit a turbine wheel under high water conditions, and to provide other improvements as will hereinafter appear.

ln the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 rep-` resents a side elevation in part section of a turbine embodying one form of the present invention; Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1; Fig.3 represents a side elevation in part section ofanother form of turbine embodying the present invention; and Fig. 4 represents a sectionon line 4-4 of Fig.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings one form of the present invention is shown as arranged upon a turbinelO of the double, inward and downward iclow type, having two inlet gates 11 and 12 mounted in spaced relation and arrangedr to direct the intlowing water to the respective wheels (not shown) which are mountedin the usual manner upon a driven shaft 13, though obviously this arrangement can be changed for varying conditions or requirements. rlhe inflowing water from the opposite ends of the turbine passes respectively through pipe bends 14 and 15, and discharges by way of a. common discharge pipe 16, which is here shown as a downward flow having outwardly diverging side walls 17 to reduce friction and back pressure.

For the purpose ot maintaining the ethciency of the turbine substantially constant under operating conditions irrespective as to whether the water is low or high, the pipe bend 14 is provided with a plurality of inlet openings or conduits 2O which admit water from the outside of the turbine and act as ejectors to direct the water en-` Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 10, i922.

1920. Serial No. 384,630.

' discharge outlet 16. These conduits 20 are preferably inwardly extending tubes integral with or rigidly secured to the main pipecasing in a manner to direct the water passing through them in the direction of the main water discharge. lThese conduits 2Q are arranged to be opened and closed at will by a common valve 21 which seats on a neck or flanged part 22 fixed to the pipe casing and varranged to give the desired the purpose f conduits 20 and arranged to be opened and closed at will by a common valve 31 which seats on a neck, member 32 and is arranged to be operated by a separate means, similar to that described, including a rod 33 journailed` in a vlug 34, gears 35 and 36, and an operating rod 37 extending to a convenient place for operation. lt will be evident that either valve can be opened or closed as desired and selective operation is possible, thus two conduits on one side may be open and the two on the other side closed, or all may be open, Aor all may be closed, depending upon conditions. Under normal and low water conditions both valves 2O and 30 are kept closed and the turbine operates without the ejector action. The amount of open* ingof the valves may also be varied to meet diiierent requirements.

Referring to Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings, a turbine 40 of the inward, downward type is shown having one inlet gate 41 instead of two, and the incoming water actuatcs the wheel to drive the shaft 42. In this form of the invention the inlet pipe bend 43 is provided with two sets of inlet ejector passages 44 and 45, preferably two passages for each set which are arranged to be controlled by the respective valves 46 and 47. The passages 44 and 45 are termed by suitably casting or forming the pipe wall to provide for the admission of some of the water directly into the pipe bend and in the direction of flow or the main discharge water.

gear 26 fast to an toward and away from its These valves 46 and 47 have separate means for operating them so that either can be operated independent oi the other, and since these operating mechanisms are similar the description will be limited to one.V The valve 46 is fixedly secured to a rod 50 which is suitably journalled and carries a gear 51 in mesh With a gear 52 fast to an operating rod 53 which extends to a convenient place for operation. Y

ln order to clearly point out the object and operation of the foregoing construction it should be understood that the height of fall and the volume et Water at a power site undergo considerable variation and to compensate inra ina-nner for this variation it is customary to design-and construct the turbines for conditions prevailing ifor about seven months off the year. is a result it fol'- -lovvs that the turbines cannot be used to full capacity during a low Water period, While under high `TWater conditions only a relatively small part ot the volume of Water available can be used bytui'bines as at present constructed. Thus inspite oiC an abundance ot' Water the horse-power generated is less than under normal Water conditions. While ejectors have heretofore been tried -with poor Success at points removed from the turbine there has been no direct action to relieve pressure within the turbine. ln the' present invention the ejector inea-ns are arranged in direct connection with the turbines and functien Within the turbine Where they can be regulated at Will as required. :Thus -When through the turbine is made easier, the tur-V bine ismore effective than when the ejectoisare closed under high Water conditions,

- and the efiiciencyV is increased to a maximum. Having now fully described my invention what I claim and desire to Secure by Letters Patent is 1. ln a. turbine, a discharge pipe having a receiving end connected to an impulse or reaction Wheel, and a discharge end atan angle to the receiving end and. communicat- V ing with the tail race, saidends being con necteol by aV pipe A' bend, and an auxiliary Water inlet conduit or nozzle in said bend trolling said auxiliary Water inlet;`

3. In a turbine, a pipe arranged to receive Water discharged from the impulse orreaction Wheel, said pipe having a plurality oit sets oit openings communicating with the eX- terior of said pipe, each opening functioning as an ejector, and separa-te vvalve means for controlling the respective sets ci openings.

e. ln a'turbine construction, a pair oit inflow turbines, a doublebend outiloiv pipe arf ranged to receive .the Water discharged from said turbines, a plurality of sets ot openings communicating With the elrteriorV of said pipe, one of said sets of openingsY being in relative close proximity to the discharge area of one turbine, and the other setA being in relatively close proximity to area of the 'other turbine, valves tor respectively controlling each set of openings, and separate means for actua-ting saidvalves.

Signed at Helsingfors, Finland, this 28th Y day of April, A. Df1920.A Y 'KARL AXEL Alfil FRS.

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